Eat, sleep, breathe, drink, Arsenal

Arsenal rang the changes from Sunday’s starting eleven. All eleven in fact. As expected David Ospina lined up behind Calum Chambers, Per Mertesacker, and Rob Holding, with exciting prospects Reiss Nelson and Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the wing-back berths. Jack Wilshere returned alongside Mohamed Elneny in midfield behind a potent looking front three of Theo Walcott, Alexis, and Olivier Giroud.

It was a mix of youth and experience that promised a great deal, but it was the lowly opposition who opened with more intent and Kongolo, on loan from Manchester City, drew a sprawling save from Ospina in the opening minute. Arsenal went to the other end where Walcott was unable to apply the finishing touch from Elneny’s pass.

In the third minute Giroud found himself on the floor in the box screaming for a penalty after he was rugby tackled as a cross was delivered. Astonishingly the officials missed it. The big Frenchman then saw an effort from the edge of the box charged down. He was keen to get the opener and from Wishire’s sublime chip he produced an acrobatic bicycle kick that smashed into the crossbar and over.

Alexis was next to try his luck with a long-range free kick that had Lawlor scrambling to his right to save. Ten minutes in and the Gunners had assumed full control of the game. Wilshere was rolling back the years with a range of passes that were threatening to unlock Doncaster’s determined rearguard action. They did manage to mount a rare break in the nineteenth minute. Coppinger, the sole survivor from the last meeting of the clubs in 2005, drew a save from Ospina but the whistle had already been blown for a free-kick.

Again the Gunners poured forward and Giroud’s header was a coat of paint over the bar. The opener finally arrived in the 25th minute when Alexis cut infield and put Walcott in the clear with a superbly weighted lob and the Englishman applied a chipped finish from the edge of the six yard box.

Arsenal 1-0 Doncaster Rovers

There was no reprieve for the visitors and Wilshere’s fierce drive from distance was deflected for a corner that eventually fell to Giroud on the edge of the box. His volley once more cleared the bar. Another Alexis free-kick sailed into the Doncaster supporters in the Clock End. It drew the loudest cheer yet from the subdued Doncastrians. The Chilean responding by looking to send in Walcott again but Lawlor spotted the danger and claimed the ball first.

The Rovers goalkeeper saved equally comfortably from Elneny’s tame volley from the second of consecutive corners. A rare but ultimately fruitless break served warning that Doncaster could still be dangerous while only a goal behind. A long and winding run from Alexis sadly came to a halt on the edge of the box as he threatened something spectacular. Doncaster ended the half as they had begun it. Kongolo put May clear but the ensuing effort was slammed into the side-netting and the Arsenal advantage was maintained.

At the start of the second-half Josh Dasilva replaced Calum Chambers for his first-team debut. The defensive midfielder slotted into the left side of the back three and Holding went across to the right. A rapid breakout from a Doncaster free-kick saw Giroud put Walcott clear again but he fired his effort over the bar and a golden chance had gone begging.

That sparked something of a revival by the League One club who grew in confidence and applied a ten minute spell of pressure without creating anything clear-cut. Not for the first time Giroud attempted a spectacular overhead kick from an Alexis corner but the effort was blocked. There followed a nervous moment as May outsmarted Nelson and bore down on goal but Maitland-Niles was alert to the danger and outsprinted the Doncaster man to prevent the danger.

Giroud appeared to have been hauled down by Duncan but again no award was forthcoming. In the next attack his cross eventually fell to Nelson who draw an excellent save from Lawlor with an accurate thump from the inside-right channel. Giroud finally got a free-kick when Mason caught him late and earned the only yellow card of the night. He was less fortunate moments later when he picked up a largely self-inflicted injury to his left ankle.

Far from overawed, Rovers again pressed for an equaliser and Butler got on the end of a corner only to head over the target. Cue Alex Iwobi being sent on for Walcott with a quarter of an hour to go. Former Millwall striker Marquis came on for the visitors and had a couple of half chances within a minute of his arrival. The home support appeared understandably nervous. Elneny fired a chance to seal the match into the side-netting.

For a second time Maitland-Niles pace came to the rescue after he himself had made a mistake. The match was gripping, if uncomfortable, if that makes sense? Joe Willock was sent on for Nelson and the side hadn’t settled when Mandeville’s effort was deflected for a corner by Mertesacker. Giroud volleyed another Alexis chip into the side-netting. Jack Wishire was next to try his luck but his ferocious drive was deflected away for a corner.

Four added minutes were announced and started with another wasted Gunners corner. A last Doncaster riposte was seen to safety before Iwobi warmed the palms of the excellent Lawlor. All our missed opportunities hadn’t cost us at the final whistle. For that we can be grateful, but there is some work to be done before those on show tonight get back into the first team for tougher tests.

Thanks for the report Holic.I didn’t see the game but have seen the goal and the overhead shot from Giroud. I am surprised that a young player making his debut comes in for the first team in a position he doesn’t play normally. I’m talking Da Silva but we are already doing to Nelson what we did for years to Ox.
Was Chambers injured or just only fit for half a match? Good to see Wilshere back. I’d love to see him re- establish himself and hope he can stay fit. He is too big a talent to lose.
Norwich next and I might go to that one.

Apart from Alexis and a couple of young bucks,our line up consisted of experienced players desperately needing game time as they aren’t going to be getting much if any in PL.
Unless a first 11 player gets injured,those that played tonight apart from Alexis, are going to be our squads for the Cup competitions.
Every side now has big squads,take a look at the Utd lineup tonight against little old Burton Albion,they could field that side in the PL and probably finish top 6. !!
So what used to be line ups of reserves and youngsters in these types of games in the past,has changed forever.
It must be mentally frustrating for the players chosen,to know that this is probably their lot for the season.
Good luck keeping everyone happy.

And just to make my night,
Little old Real Betis who’s entire squad cost about threepence ha’penny,
went to the house of the Billionaires of Real Madrid as despised 20/1 outsiders in a La Liga game this evening,and nicked a 1 nil win with a goal in the 94th minute.
Once in a Blue Moon i do believe a football God somewhere decides to give the teams of arrogant self entitled peacock preening Prima Donna’s at the top of the football tree a massive kick in the nuts.

With most of this team short of playing time, not to mention playing alongside strangers in a strange formation, why would anyone expect them to blow away a team that play together every week in a set formation? Even allowing for their relative status. It’s why lowly teams often do spring surprises in cup games.

Just give thanks for the win, and if this ‘team’ ever play together again expect them to improve with every game.

And remember, Theo, scoring winning goals will never be enough in the eyes of some. Perhaps if you got out more (on the pitch) and scrubbed off that rust? Ditto Ollie.

@TTG 15
Chambers was a hip injury I heard,
out for a couple of weeks.
And I guess the thinking was that’s
it’s better to give Da Silva
the experience at 1-0 than use
Nacho who was the only other
defensive option.

From Doncaster, birthplace of
Robin Hood, to Norwich, home
of the quiz of the week, we can’t
complain about the draw.
Another chance for games and I’d
like to see Jack playing at No 10
in the League Cup and Ropey
League. If Ozil’s off then it’s an
opportunity for Jack.

I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.

Well, time to be doing other things anyway. Gotta go. Have a nice day cba and gooners everywhere.

I knew it was going to be a quiet day in the stadium when I got in the Tolly. Plenty of room to swing a (what’s the collective noun for lots of cats?) and time for some badinage with the young barstaff.

In the stadium and I would say the lower tier practically sold out. Very few in the upper tier. 46K looks a bit generous to me and it will count every single club level seat where League Cup games are included in the season ticket (unlike lower and upper tier). Still a damn sight more than the ramblers 23K at Wembley. We should make the whole ground £10 for these games (upper tier £20 at the moment, lower tier £10, both half price kids and seniors).

For a regular match goer like me I love the League Cup because I like seeing the different team we put out and I love the away games. I don’t like the match day experience at home because it’s full of people who don’t go regularly. We have to sit down (‘cos there’s lots of kids – fair enough), they can’t find their seats, they come in 15 minutes late, they leave five minutes before half time and come back in bearing van loads of pizza 10 minutes. They don’t know the songs and there’s even less atmosphere than normal.

I know. I’m just a privileged match day snob. And I do think it’s great that so many people get their first experience of the Ems at these games. I’ll be there for Norwich, of course, probably still moaning.

As to the match – meh. Only high point was Jack – he really ran the midfield and glided over the ground as in his peak. Nothing else really to add except that for once I completely agree with Chris @45 plus those who say that Nelson and AMN shouldn’t be at fullback.

C100 , Chris and Ned,
We haven’t got the squad resources to play the shape we are at first- team level. We’ve sent Bramall and the Corporal on loan and haven’t brought any wing backs in. We sold Gibbs in a season where he woukd have got a lot of games. But we will harm Nelson if we play him out of position at this stage of his development
I really don’t understand Wenger’s planning nowadays . I’m not alone

Chris, Kathy Kirby’s Malaguena is also a remarkable performance and a rare find for somebody like me who is a bit too young to know about her. Knowing the original Mexican song and seeing her interpretation in English, and the fitting lyrics, shows quite a bit of cultural understanding. Not to mention her great voice and stage presence.

Ttg@130: Agree with you 100% about where to play Nelson, and why AW is playing him at wing-back. I was surprised Bramall went out on loan. I can only think that when the decision was made, it didn’t seem Gibbs would be offloaded.

A banjo? Could you not teach it to play something musical? An alto sax for a monkey would be about right. I’m reminded of James Morrison (an Aussie jazz muso of international renown) who said his brother John had given up music (studied at Sydney Conservatorium) to play the drums. But there’s lots of jokes about drummers.

Thanks for #131, bt8. Kathy Kirby was reputedly the highest paid female UK singer of her generation, which is quite a rap in an era which spawned Lulu, Cilla Black, Sandy Shaw, Shirley Bassey, Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield, Marianne Faithfull and others of whom youngsters like yourself may never have heard. 😀 Of them all Kirby probably had the biggest voice, and definitely the biggest tits.

Diaby’s Wikipedia page says he is no longer with Marseille after appearing in just four games, and “In October 2016, Diaby had to undergo an operation on his right ankle after suffering for weeks with persistent pain. He was ruled out for a period of four months following the surgery.”

Holic
My local club are Gillingham – they’re not that local but they are in league 1 and they are crap. I wouldn’t draw the curtains if they were playing in my back garden. The last time I went was about three Boxing Days ago . We made an outing of it but the beer was so much better than the football ! And it wasn’t very good beer!
When I give up going to Arsenal I’m going to take up sex.